Laura Sterbens, the foundation’s wildlife coordinator, says the group uses domestic breeding pairs of eagles and raises their young so they can be released into the wild in efforts to repopulate the species.

The release was the first time the birds attempted to fly. It also marked the first time that the foundation began using satellites to track the eagles by GPS transmitters.

The eagles, named Thunderhead and Destiny, were previously tracked by radio signals and had a limited traceable radius.